Following his recent concert at the Puente Romano Tennis Club, at which fans were treated to a repertoire of new songs from TJ’s latest album, as well as an ample selection of old classics, will they be dishing out more Praise than Blame?  marbellas.com reports. Photography Gary Edwards

With a plethora of concerts being staged all summer long in Marbella, none was so highly anticipated as the one night only performance by Tom Jones at the Puente Romano Tennis Club.  With fans spanning three generations, there was no shortage of eager Jones fans willing to spend upwards of 90 euros for the privilege of seeing the living legend live on stage.  Playing to a packed Puente Romano, the veteran pop star played a compelling set taking in songs from his new album Praise and Blame, along with a wide range of his more raucous  – and romantic classics.

With a tight backing band comprising two female singers, two guitarists, keyboard and drums, despite now being in his 70th year, Tom Jones does not rely on gimmicks to get him through the night… and the extraordinary voice that has been the fortune of the Welsh born star, is certainly not on the wane.

While it was probably not the new material most fans were eager to listen to, Praise and Blame is a body of work that harks back to Tom Jones’s roots -and as such, is a brilliant showcase for his rich, emotional musicality.

New Works
The new album is something of a retrospective journey, drawing on Jones’s roots with a blend of gospel, blues, traditional and country songs, giving Jones the chance to wear his heart on his sleeve, emotionally raw and  true.  Talking of the new album, Jones has been quoted as saying:

“We wanted to go back to basics, go back to the source, it was just me singing live with a rhythm section – no overdubbing, no gimmicks, no complicated horn and string arrangements, just get the song down in an entire take, capture the meaning of the song, its spirituality, its life, and capture that moment, right there. And I think that’s what we’ve done.”

It is a truly remarkable record, one that captures the Tom Jones who listened to Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe on the radio as a child growing up, who thought gospel music was “just like rock’n’roll, every bit as exciting but with deeper lyrics”, the Tom Jones who belted out The Lord’s Prayer as a jubilatory spiritual in school assembly, “because that was the only way I knew how to sing it, it was natural for me.”

Recording with producer Ethan Johns (Kings Of Leon, Ray LaMontagne, Paolo Nutini, Laura Marling) at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the little village of Box in Wiltshire, coaxed the most exhilarating performances out of the singer. “Box is where my grandmother used to live, she was a Baptist and she’d have really appreciated what we were doing.  I really felt like it was an early sign, this record was meant to be,” says Tom.

Whether it’s John Lee Hooker’s ‘Burning Hell’, Bob Dylan’s ‘What Good Am I’, Jesse Mae Hemphill’s ‘Lord Help The Poor And Needy’, Susan Werner’s ‘Did Trouble Me’ or Billy Joe Shaver’s ‘If I Give My Soul’, Tom stamps his own authority upon the songs, it’s   as if they were written with  him personally in mind.

As an album, ‘Praise And Blame’ follows the universal journey of a man through the rites of passage, “as he reflects, observes and comments on what is going on around him,” says Tom. It’s not necessarily autobiographical, “but there are bits in there that I definitely relate to and can learn from.”

Classics Reworked
Although Jones did not earn his reputation as a white hot sex symbol for his classic ballads such as Delilah and The Green, Green Grass of Home, they are the kind of tear jerkers that just have to come out  of his particular box of tricks at every single concert.   And while other men at seventy may just be portly and grey,  Tom is given a pop star’s grace – and in his case, the years have simply made him as mature and alluring as a silver fox, with a gaze so intense it could bore holes through unsuspecting members of the audience.

As the night continued in Marbella,  it was clear that Jones had enough musical ammunition to blast his fans into a frenzy with the old classics such as Kiss and Sex Bomb… at which point the fans fought back with assorted underwear being launched at the stage…

Designer, florist and organiser of the Flower Ball, Tatiana Tridvornova, was the star of the show. Her intricate floral designs were sported by a number of gorgeous models from the Nueva Moda Agency including Elisa Guanich; winner of Spanish Linda of Spain 2010 beauty contest.

Flower power

Tatiana has been hosting the Flower Ball event since 1999 in Monaco and was the talent behind the Russian Musical Nights in Saint Tropez event in 2008. She also presented floral creations at the G8 in germany as well as winning the Luxury Brands Award as voted by the World Fashion Channel.

After an exquisite Gala Dinner, funky live band ‘D’Black’, whipped the crowds into a frenzy. As the champagne flowed, an amazing firework display added that extra sparkle to what was undoubtadely one of the most glitterati-studded events of this year.

Movers and shakers

Sponsors TOUT! Media, Alians Real Estate, Bentley, PSN Caviar, 24Karat Champagne, Grey Goose, Mac and Berrocal florists all attended the prestigious event, as well as guests from Russian and Spanish high society such as businessmen Vladmir Avetisyan, Mikhail Prokhorov and Mikhail Lisyansky.

Also amongst the high profile guests were beautiful Italian ex Cavalli model, Elizabeth Thompson, Mayor of Benahavís Mr. Jose Antonio Mena Castilla and the Deputy Mayor of Marbella, Mr. Miguel Troyano.

Summer may officially be over but that doesn’t mean the coast’s action-packed events calendar will be too. If you’re a disco diva, a sucker for all things sporty or have an obsession with classic automobiles, Marbella’s where it’s at this September.

Saturday 11 September: Classic Car Run in aid of Cudeca, San Pedro

As a special tribute to John Hill, who recently lost his battle with cancer, members of the Classic Car Club of Andalucia will be holding a retro-style car run to raise funds for local cancer charity Cudeca.
The rally will begin in the town of San Pedro and finish at El Campanario Golf & Country Club, Benamara.

Tickets cost 10 Euros.

For information call Giles on 620 180 682.

Best for: Passionate petrol heads.

Saturday 11 September: Wish List Closing Party at Suite del Mar

Located on the beach next to Marbella’s plush Puente Romano hotel, Suite del Mar will be closing its doors until next year. What better way to kiss the summer goodbye than indulging in a special three course dinner of exquisite food and wine by the sea, accompanied by live entertainment? All proceeds will be donated to the Ciudad de Los Niños – a children’s home situated in Málaga.

Tickets cost 60 Euros per person.

For more information, email wishlistvolunteers@hotmail.com

Best for: Charitable party goers.

Saturday 11 September: PAD Charity Golf Tournament, Miraflores Golf

Members of local charity organisation, PAD, which cares for abandoned and mistreated domestic animals, are holding a fun-filled golf tournament at the popular golf club in Miraflores. The event is aimed at golf fanatics, both individuals and teams of four and tickets cost €40 or €10 for members.

For more information call 952 931 960

Best for: Animal lovers and golfers.

16 to 19 September: Marbella Masters, Puente Romano Tennis Club

Over 15,000 visitors are expected to attend this four day event in which some of the world’s biggest tennis stars will take to centre court for a spectacular sporting showdown. The tournament will be held at the tennis club belonging to one of Marbella’s most prestigious hotels, situated on the Golden Mile. French Open Champion, Former Wimbledon champion and Ozzie, Pat Cash and Dutch tennis ace Richard Krajicek are among the big names taking part.

Ticket prices start at 10€ each and are available from www.ticketmaster.com and El Corte Ingles.

For more information email info@marbellamasters.es

Best for: Fans of tennis.

Thurday 16 September: First Russian Flower Ball, Villa Padierna

On 16 September the luxurious Villa Padierna will host the 1st Marbella Flower Ball. Top celebrities, sports personalities, entrepreneurs, politicians and the crème de la crème of Russian high society will gather together for a lavish dinner with champagne whilst professional florist and designer, Tatiana Tridvornova, showcases her fabulous floral compositions in the grounds of the stunning 5 star hotel.

For more information please call 952 908 007.

Best for: Glamorous guys and girls.

Saturday 25 September: Boney M in concert, Sohail Castle

Seventies disco legends, Boney M, will come to the Costa del Sol for the first time ever to perform their greatest hits. This exclusive live open-air concert will take place at the atmospheric Castillo Sohail in Fuengirola and see the groovy group perform classic numbers such as ‘Daddy Cool’, ‘Rivers of Babylon’ and ‘Sunny’.

Doors open at 19.00 when support act David Patrick Carter, will get the party started, followed by local band, Traffic Jam.

Standard tickets cost 30 Euros if purchased before 20 September and 40 Euros thereafter and are available in Marbella from The German Bakery at El Rosario and La Cañada and Starz Café at Central Plaza.

For more information call 670 635 786.

Best for: Those who like to boogie.

TV’s ‘Mr Nasty’ is currently in Marbella as his X-Factor hopefuls take part in the boot camp stage of the contest. However, it seems the bunch have taken advantage of Simon’s hospitality as they’re rumoured to have ‘trashed’his Spanish residence.

Marbella sees stars of the stage and screen grace its shores each summer and over the years, no-nonsense X-Factor judge, Simon has been one of the town’s most regular celebrity visitors.

A bad name

This summer, Simon has rented a huge 20-bedroom villa, in which he will mentor his group of budding performers, at 15,000 per day – not exactly cheap! So it’s surprising that after a late-night session of drinking, the hopefuls decided to trash the place on Sunday 29 August. However, with band names such as Rogues, Sugar Bullet, Husstle and Princes, perhaps this was on the cards all along…

Thankfully, real A-listers, Michelle and Sasha Obama visited Marbella just a few weeks ago, generating positive publicity and helping to increase tourism figures in the town but thanks to the X-Factor contestants’ disgraceful behaviour a few days ago, the tone has been lowered.

Bands behaving badly

According to UK newspapers, the contestants raided Simon’s bar then guzzled expensive champagne and his favourite, specially-imported Japanese beers before heading to the sea for a drunken swim. Once back at the villa, the paraletic popstar wannabes stumbled over antique and designer furniture, destroying a £5,000 Persian rug with sand and sea water, which later had to be scrubbed by TV aides.

When Simon discovered what had happened the following morning, he was far from impressed. It seems the group’s premature rock-star antics will cost them money, as Simon will make sure the damage will be covered by the culprits’ first royalty cheques if they win the show. Hopefully that’s a lesson learned!

A source told the press: ‘It was chaos and the contestants were very excited but things got out of hand. Simon was disappointed with the lack of respect for the house and his hospitality.’

Photography Gary Edwards

After the controversy of the cancelled Faithless concert a few weeks ago by it’s promotors Kings of Production, tongues were wagging as to whether the Rockin’ Marbella music promotors would be able to come up with the goods. In fact, those doubters need not have worried as all permits were in place at the Banus Bullring and the artists were evidently paid to perform. But perhaps the Faithless incident had an ill effect on ticket sales of the X Factor event? Unlike the recent sell-out Seal Concert in the Marbella Bullring, and Bjorn Again with about 3,000 people in the audience, the X Factor didn’t attract as expected. Maybe price too was a reason for the less than half filled venue. VIP tickets were priced at 400€ which gave permission to pass into a cordoned off, meter high raised area where Champagne and canapes were served through out the concert. The least expensive entrance was 50€, and 100€ to be in the centre or to get to the front of stage. With no subsidy for children, the ones who fill the front row at X Factor concerts, a family of five would have been shelling out 500€.

Diversity

The Dance group Diversity were the first of the headlines to perform. The group shot to fame on the 2009 Britain’s Got Talent TV series, winning the competition, beating Susan Boyle who was 2nd in the final. Ashley Banjo, lead choreographer, heads the group of dancers whose ages range from 15 to 28. Many of the children in the Banus audience listed Diversity as their favourite of the performers, but were surprised to see that 15 minutes was the total of their performance on stage. Some missed the performance completely as late arrivals were plentiful.

The Scarletz

Billed as being the ‘Hottest new Girl Band’ with intentions of filling the charts with their Ska inspired music, Bryony, Claire, Katiya and Tahnee are as sweet as sugar. Their music inspired by Madness and the Specials, is probably not Suggs’s cup of tea and he may find the sound and vision a little hard to swallow. With a repertoire of about 5 songs, at one point on being asked by a band member, “What are we singing next?”, one of the girls replied “I don’t know!”. Unfortunately, the young girls, pretty and fun as they are, were not greeted with much enthusiasm by the audience who rather unnecessarily booed them after their performance and again at the end of the gig when the announcer asked for a cheer for Scarletz rather than a boo.

Alexandra Burke

With only her 22nd birthday a few days away, Alexandra Burke has certainly achieved a great deal in her short career. Winning the fifth series of The X Factor, she soon became a World record holder selling the most singles in a 24 hour period, a staggering 105,000 copies of her single Hallelujah which went on to be the 2008 number one. Alexandra gave a confident performance in Banus, her training with The X Factor showing what true professionals are capable of producing. Songs included the single Hallelujah, Bad Boys and a Michael Jackson tribute.

Jamie Archer

It would be true to say that chap from Putney, London was the saviour of the evening in terms wowing the crowd. Singing Sex on Fire from Kings of Leon, his favourite rock song and countless other covers, Jamie lifted the audience out of their seats like none of his predecessors that evening had done. It has been said on one website that Jamie saw Jimi Hendrix in concert as a child, although as Jamie was born six years after the guitar hero died, that is a little hard to believe. Still, sporting a similar Afro hair style, he played several tracks with his guitar. Another rumour that Jamie is Leo Sayer’s son is not at all true. Jamie’s father, William Archer, is from Guyana in South America. Jamie reached 7th place in the 2009 X Factor series with his mentor Simon Cowell. Joe McEldery from South Shields was the winner that year, but it seems that Jamie is making as much of an impact on the music scene, if not more than his counterpart. His performance and his enthusiasm was full of energy. Happy to be in Marbella Jamie said that the Banus Bullring was the best Venue he had ever played at.

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Hit British TV talent show, X-Factor has catapulted singers of all ages and backgrounds to international superstardom and on 20 August, three of them will perform live at an exclusive concert in Marbella.

Sexy songtress Alexandra Burke, street dance troupe and winners of  Britain’s Got Talent 2009, Diversity, plus up-and-coming vocalist Jamie Archer will be putting on a spectacular live show at the Plaza del Toros in Puerto Banús on Friday 20 August.

Three of a kind

Alexandra Burke shot to fame in 2008 after winning the fifth series of  X-Factor and signing a record deal with none other than music mogul Simon Cowell. Later that year, the starlet became the European record holder for single sales in 24 hours when 105,000 copies of her debut  single, a cover of the late Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’. were sold in a day.  Other hits include ‘Bad Boys’ and ‘All Night Long’, which she’ll be belting out live on stage at the concert.

Diversity, a group of friends from East London ranging between the ages of 14 and 27, wowed the nation when they auditioned for the Britain’s got Talent TV show in 2009. With their funky, urban image and out-of-this-world dance moves, it’s no wonder they beat Scottish singing sensation, Susan Boyle, in the live final. Their carefully choreographed routines are sure to go down a storm at the bullring!

Jamie ‘Afro’ Archer, the oldest of 12 live finalists of X-Factor Series 6, is a Putney-born musician with one hell of a voice.
Whilst on the TV show, he performed an amazing version of Kings of Leon hit ‘Sex on Fire’ as well as Elvis’ ‘I Can Dream’. Expect more crazy rock ‘n’ roll from him on the night!

Girls allowed

Kicking off at 20.00, with support from quirky all-girl band The Scarletz, who supported Cheryl Cole during her recent tour, and guest DJs, the event is set to attract pop-loving people from far and wide.

Safe – and sound!

Following the disappointment of the Faithless concert, which was  cancelled due to safety concerns, organisers of the X-Factor concert, Rockin Marbella, have assured gig-goers that all work currently being carried out in the Puerto Banús bullring will be completed well before the concert is due to take place and that the highest safety measures on the night will be in place.

Just the ticket

Tickets are priced at 50€ and are available from El Corte Ingles, www.ticketmaster.com and there’ll also be a special Rockin Marbella branded tour bus which will be cruising down the coast and stopping off at selected locations over the next couple of weeks, giving everyone a chance to snap up tickets.

For details on exclusive VIP tickets (these include champagne,  canapes, the best seats and access to the Pangea After Show Party), call Charlotte on 619 808 807.

It was a sell out audience of 4,000 fans who queued and shuffled in the evening heat outside Marbella’s famous Plaza de Toros to see the superstar singer Seal in concert. Report by Robert Tenison and Ola Jacobsen

Photography Gary Edwards

As the Bull Ring gradually filled to the brim, resident Saxophonist, Florencio played his musical magic getting the crowd in the mood for the first major public concert of the summer season. Before Seal hit the stage, there were whispers of “I only know a couple of Seal songs, I hope he’s good”. Familiar songs such as Killer and Crazy were the two which most knew. As dusk and then darkness arrived, a steady beat introducing Papa Was a Rolling Stone permeated the superb venue of the bull ring and Seal made his appearance onto the stage.

Commitment

The crowd greeted Seal enthusiastically as he launched into the opening song with energy and enthusiasm. He continued with a combination of his old songs and a couple from his forthcoming album Commitment, due out in September.  Commitment is Seal’s first album of new material since 2006 and will feature a mid-tempo soulful rock song All for Love and an acoustic Secrets. The disc promises to be a big hit for the multiplatinum selling artist who has teamed up once again with David Foster who produced Seal’s most successful album Soul which included Kiss From a Rose.

Campeones

Seal was superbly supported by his backing band which included a wind section made up entirely of women in black who moved with fluidity at the back of the stage. Stopping to give an autograph to a German fan he joked about his wife, Heidi Klum being German and the fact that he was honoured that a German should travel to Spain to see him. He engaged with the crowd at regular intervals and joking with the Spanish that he had forgotten who won the World Cup at which point the audience broke out into song themselves with “Campeones, campeones…”.

Midway through the concert,  he opted to play a classical guitar, the neck of which had the names of his children, Lou, Johan, Leni and Henry written in gold as well as Seal, Heidi and a heart. As the evening unfolded the whisperers were heard shouting to each other,  “I know this one, and this and this..!”

Seal played a truely memorable concert made even more special by the location and the crowd who created a wonderful atmosphere.  We look forward to welcoming Seal back sooner rather than later.